Sample Compositions
Character description
Question : Write a description of someone who makes people laugh.
Planning
What he says makes him happy wants to be on TV
What he looks like ordinary but can be weird clown
My cousin Al
What he does Auntie’s party acted out stories
What others think most like him teacher gets cross
Opening sentence What he looks like
My cousin, Al, is the funniest person I know. He is always doing crazy things that make people laugh. If you met Al you might think he was pretty ordinary. He is average height and looks no different from any 13-year-old boy but he can transform himself into a clown. He rolls his eyes and wiggles his nose while, at the same time, he shrugs his shoulders and flops his feet. Then, he’s so weird you can’t help laughing. Last year, at my auntie’s birthday party, Al kept all the little children happy by telling them stories. He acted out all the different characters. He croaked like a frog and moved his arms and legs so fast you could have sworn he had eight legs like Anansi. The children were rolling on the floor laughing. Al says, “It makes me happy to see folks lauqh,” and he says he is going to be on television when he grows up. Almost everyone likes Al because he is always friendly and funny. He told me that his teacher gets cross with himwhen he plays the fool in class but even she often ends up lauqhing.
Something he did Describes character by giving an example
Something he said What other people think
• Discuss with students how the writer uses a concept map to organise his / her ideas. • Point out that the writer does not just tell us about Al – saying he is funny. Instead, the writer shows us what Al is like by giving us examples of what he does and says. This brings the character to life.
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